…and all the stuff in between…

Musical chairs: At Ganassi, Sebastian Saavedra piloted the seat that belonged to Sage Karam alone until this weekend. It’ll mainly be Sage in the car the rest of the year, but Sebastian will race in May and at the season finale in Sonoma. At Coyne, Carlos Huertas was out of the seat for Rocky Moran, Jr. And just when the ink dried on that change, Moran broke his thumb in a practice incident and Conor Daly was tapped last-minute to take over the ride.

Carnage, avoided: After the messy start at St. Pete and NOLA, the drivers met and discussed how important it was to have a good clean race. Not only was this Long Beach, the 2nd most important race on the schedule, but aero kit parts are still at a premium. Lo and behold, we had a great deal of green flag time. They can do it if they try… 😉

Successful event: On top of the (usual) sunshine and celebrities galore, this weekend’s race boasted the largest attendance figures in 15 years. There were questions about how the event could continue a few years back, but the Roar on the Shore looks healthy and strong at the moment.

First-timer: Hard to believe, but this is the first time Scott Dixon has won at Long Beach. This trophy will take a special place in his vast collection, and shines his status as one of the best ever to pilot an IndyCar.